


One Foot in the Golden Life, One Foot in the Gutter

by Fernon



Series: Not Broken; Just Bent [4]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Angst, Domestic, Drinking, Feelings, Kinda, M/M, Shameless Smut, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2021-02-17 22:49:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21517741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fernon/pseuds/Fernon
Summary: Mingyu's cooking might be cooking up some feelings within Wonwoo. Or possibly Wonwoo has had too much red wine.
Relationships: Jeon Wonwoo/Kim Mingyu
Series: Not Broken; Just Bent [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1487822
Comments: 11
Kudos: 162





	One Foot in the Golden Life, One Foot in the Gutter

**Author's Note:**

> Part 4 is here, and part 5 is in the works! Also smut is still not my forte, but I'm getting there. Also, this hasn't been proof read so hopefully there are no glaring errors.

“It was so awkward, Soonyoung. It would surprise me if he never talks to me again.” Wonwoo sighs. “It’s been almost a week and I haven’t heard from him at all.” Soonyoung rolls his eyes.

“Maybe he’s just busy, Wonwoo. And you claim he’s just a hookup, but it’s not sounding that way to me. You’re worried he’s never going to speak to you again.” Soonyoung says, as they enter a tux shop. Wonwoo shakes his head. 

“I know what you’re implying, Soon. I don’t have feelings for him. He’s just- he’s a good person. A genuinely good human. And things were left on a weird note, and I just don’t want him going on in life thinking I’m a weirdo.” Wonwoo states.

“But you  _ are  _ a weirdo, my dear Wonu. And if Mingyu is such a good person, he wouldn’t ghost you like that. He’s definitely just busy.” 

Wonwoo chooses to ignore his comment. “But you weren’t  _ there,  _ Soonyoung. That night, I- I had a damn panic attack in front of him. Like, ran out on everyone. And then I acted like a freaking baby, and I asked him to stay at my apartment. I made the  _ fold out bed _ for him! As if we hadn’t seen each other naked before! What the fuck?” Wonwoo groans. “And the next morning? I walked out of my room and he had made us coffee, and folded the bed back up,  _ and _ he was already dressed. He barely spoke to me, and he just- he said ‘thanks for letting me stay, your house is nice.’ And then he  _ left _ .” 

Soonyoung stares at him. “You worry too much. He took  _ care  _ of you, Wonwoo. And in his defense, did you make any attempt at conversation?” 

“I- well, I suppose not. I mean I thanked him for making coffee… You know how I am in the mornings!” Wonwoo pouts. Soonyoung sighs, and checks them in to the fitting appointment. 

“Just relax, Wonu. He doesn’t hate you. Things might have been awkward, but he definitely doesn’t hate you. Maybe he’s just giving you space. You  _ did _ freak out. And over what?”

“Seokmin and Chan kept making jokes about… relationships. And they kept saying that ‘Mingyu was a real catch,’ and that I should actually date him and- fuck, Soonyoung, I can’t do that. I can’t get hurt again…”

“Hey, calm down, okay?” Soonyoung gently sets his hands on Wonwoo’s shoulders, reassuring him. “Nobody was saying you had to. They didn’t mean anything by it, okay? Just calm down. Want to pick out some suits for me? You can pick out ridiculously ugly ones, if you want. And we can laugh about it.”

Wonwoo agrees. 

This particular shop ends up being a bust, even if they’re cheaper than half the tux shops in the city, but they don’t have what Soonyoung wanted, nor do they have the certain grays and greens Soonyoung is looking for. “How do you not have gray earth tones? What about forest green?! Emerald green?! This is ridiculous!” Soonyoung shouts as the two of them trudge down the street.

“On the bright side, you can probably get the white groomsmen suits from there? It’ll be money saving and the party will probably be happy with that.” Wonwoo states. Soonyoung sighs dramatically, but nods. 

“I suppose. You want to come to dinner with me? Jihoon is out of town visiting his parents for the weekend. You don’t have to, I might try Seokmin or Chan, since I’ve hardly seen either of them since they’ve been in town.” Soonyoung asks. 

Wonwoo checks his watch, and sighs. “I really have to do some grocery shopping tonight. I have quite literally, no food in my house. I have two slices of bread, coffee, and some salt. And no instant ramen.” Wonwoo whines. Soonyoung laughs. 

“You really need to learn to cook, or hire someone to do it for you. Instant ramen is  _ so _ bad for you. And it’s not even half as good as home cooked ramen.” Soonyoung states. Wonwoo waves him off. 

“I’d take cooking classes if they weren’t deemed a couple activity. I’ll manage, and if I get promoted any higher, I’ll be able to afford an in-house chef. I’ll see you later, yeah Soonyoung? Text me when you get home,” Wonwoo waves, as he turns down the street to where he parked his car. Soonyoung had insisted he didn’t need a ride, since they only lived a block or two away. 

“I will! See you Wonu!” Soonyoung waves. “I’ll let you know when I research some more boutiques.” 

And with that, the two of them part ways, and Wonwoo pulls out of his parking spot, heading towards the grocery store, brainstorming a list of things he needs. Toilet paper, toothpaste, cup noodles, microwave dinners, eggs, bread, coffee, creamer… Wonwoo pulls into a parking spot outside the grocery store, and shuts the car off, typing out the list on his phone. Shampoo, a few cans of soup, maybe. Wonwoo glances at the rest of the parking lot. He hates coming to the store on a Friday after work, since it’s always so busy. But, it’s almost 7:30, since he went tux hunting with Soonyoung, and it’s cleared out quite a bit. Still a little more busy than Wonwoo would have liked, but it’s okay. He saves the list in his notes, and shoves his phone in his pocket.

He makes sure to grab his keys and wallet from the car, and heads inside. He steps in, and sees beautiful fresh produce, and sighs. He grabs a basket, deciding that a cart is too much for what he needs to get. Then he steps through the square of fresh fruits and vegetables. He grabs a couple of oranges, and a package of spinach, and some carrots, for good measure. He finds a few nice looking bell peppers, knowing those would go well in omelettes in the morning, and then he makes his way to the bakery to pick up a loaf of bread. Now to the frozen section. 

Look, if Wonwoo didn’t have to eat this way, he wouldn’t. He doesn’t particularly enjoy eating mediocre, pre-made, highly processed, half cold chicken stir fry, or sub par, barely seasoned, frozen pasta meals. But Wonwoo is hopeless in the kitchen. Omelettes are as good as it gets. Sometimes he’ll get real pasta and canned sauce, but nothing fresh, home cooked. Maybe that’s why he goes out with his friends or coworkers whenever he can. Though that hurts the wallet sometimes. Wonwoo sighs and grabs five various meals, and then a bag of frozen berries for smoothies. He’s not  _ totally _ unhealthy in his eating. 

Wonwoo makes his way to the ‘instant meal’ aisle, and grabs three cans of chicken noodle soup, and a can of chowder, and then an 8 pack of instant ramen. He shuffles down the aisle, feeling absolutely abysmal, only to bump into someone’s cart. “Oh! I’m sorry!” Wonwoo ducks his head and continues apologizing, while the other person stumbles over an apology for running him over with their cart. 

“Wonwoo?” 

He whirls around at the sound of that voice. There stands Mingyu, behind him, with a shopping cart full of fresh produce, a vast array of spices, and packages of meat. 

“Oh, Mingyu! Fancy seeing you here…” Wonwoo mumbles, his cheeks reddening. Shit, this was definitely not part of the grocery shopping plan. 

“Restocking the kitchen, eh?” Mingyu smiles, and Wonwoo watches his eyes travel down to Wonwoo’s pitiful basket of microwave dinners and canned soup. Wonwoo feels his face heating up more. “Not much for cooking?”

“Uh- yeah, I kind of fucking suck at it. Shit I forgot eggs.” Wonwoo says, spotting a carton of them in Mingyu’s cart. 

“Why don’t we get together for dinner?” Mingyu smiles warmly. “I love to cook.”

“No! No, I don’t want to be a bother, it’s okay, Mingyu.” Wonwoo feels himself backpedaling in panic. Shit, Mingyu thinks he’s pathetic, that’s wonderful. 

“No, it’s alright! I insist. I don’t work tonight, one of the other guys needed an extra shift to make his car payment, so I let him take mine. It’s alright, really. I’m not gonna eat all of it by myself anyways.” Mingyu smiles warmly. Wonwoo scratches the back of his neck nervously. 

“I- well I have more shopping to do, I don’t want to make you wait…”

“That’s alright! I have a few more things to pick up too. We can shop together?”

“I- yeah, okay, sure…” Wonwoo says. Mingyu clears a spot in the cart. 

“Set your basket in here. Yeah?” Mingyu gives Wonwoo a bright, warm smile, and has no choice but to oblige. He sets his basket of shitty microwave dinners down, and stands beside Mingyu’s cart while Mingyu looks down the aisle for pre-made broth. “Ah! Here it is!” Mingyu sets it in the cart, pulls a  _ pen _ out of his  _ damn pocket _ and  _ crosses it off his grocery list. _ Wonwoo feels shame burning hot in his face. 

Wonwoo was pretty sure he sucked at life before, but this just proves it. He is the absolute worst at life. 

“Wonu? What else do you need to get?” Mingyu asks softly, looking at him, with his hands on the bar of the shopping cart. His face is expectant, and soft.

“Uh…” Wonwoo blinks a few times and then pulls out his phone to see the list he typed out, in the notes of his phone, and sees of all the things he’s got in his basket, he has two things checked off his list. “Eggs, bread, coffee, creamer…. And then some bathroom stuff.” Wonwoo says. Mingyu nods. 

“Great, let’s head towards the bakery. And the eggs are right next to that section, by the dairy. Coffee is towards all the breakfast foods, but I need to go there anyways. I need to get some pasta, and some pizza dough still…” Mingyu trails off with a few more items and Wonwoo’s pretty sure he’d like to melt through the concrete floor under them. What kind of man  _ is _ Mingyu? Wonwoo lets Mingyu lead the way, walking a bit behind him as he navigates the aisles, stopping once in a while to grab something off the shelf. 

“So how was work this week?” Mingyu asks.

“Uh, alright I suppose… Just the… usual stuff. I guess. Meetings. Planning.” Wonwoo shrugs. 

“What exactly  _ do _ you do for work, anyways?” Mingyu asks. 

“I uh, I’m a marketing executive at a company. We’re pretty big in Japan. That’s why I fly over there so often. To make sure all their marketing is good, and is approved by the main branch, over here.” Wonwoo nods. 

“So that’s how you afford that fancy penthouse bachelor pad?” Mingyu grins, and his tone is playful. Wonwoo’s face heats up. 

“It’s not a penthouse, it’s only the fourth floor,” Wonwoo pouts a little. “But it pays handsomely enough…” Wonwoo mumbles that last bit. 

“I’m just teasing. How… How are you feeling after last weekend…?” Mingyu asks softly. Wonwoo winces. 

“I- yeah, about that, I’m really sorry, I- I acted like… a fucking idiot, I’m so sorry-”

“Hey, don’t apologize for having a  _ panic attack _ , Wonwoo,” Mingyu stops in his tracks and gently takes Wonwoo’s hands. “It’s alright.”

“I meant for- for asking you to stay… That was… I don’t know what that was… But I guess the panic attack was embarrassing too… I normally have better control over those things…” Wonwoo says softly. 

“I didn’t mind staying, Wonwoo. I was worried about you. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“I- yeah, I was okay. I am okay. I guess. I will be with time anyways, even though it’s been a long time…”

“A long time since what?” Mingyu asks quietly. 

“Let’s just say I got hurt once. And I don’t ever want to feel that way again.” Wonwoo says softly. Mingyu nods, and doesn’t push the topic any further. Wonwoo is grateful for that. They continue on, Mingyu asking him some little questions- where he’s from, some of his hobbies- and Wonwoo asks the same questions in return. They stop in various aisles, so they can add to their shopping piles, and Wonwoo can’t help but feel this is all so- so domestic. 

It’s strange, but all too familiar at the same time. It feels like it’s too much, but it’s not enough. Wonwoo  _ wants  _ this, he wants the familiarity of grocery shopping with someone, of spending time with Mingyu, he wants someone to feel like home- but he doesn’t want it at the same time. Wonwoo shakes his head. “Sorry, what was the question?”

“I asked if you were done food shopping. That way we can head towards the toiletries.” Mingyu asks gently. Wonwoo checks his list and nods. 

“Yes, I’ve got everything I need.” Wonwoo replies softly, and the two of them make their way to the toiletries. Upon arrival, Mingyu grabs a bottle of hand soap, some body wash, and condoms. Wonwoo pretends not to eyeball that last item. Wonwoo grabs the few things he needs as they continue towards the register. 

“Mingyu? Will you at least let me pay for tonight’s meal? I feel really bad… I can pick up a bottle of wine for us, too! Maybe a dessert! I just- I don’t want you to have to cook for me…” Wonwoo says sheepishly. Mingyu stops walking and looks at him. Wonwoo stares into his eyes, before Mingyu sighs and nods. 

“Alright, but if you’re buying wine, get a nice kind, and make it red. Please. That’s my favorite.” Mingyu says. Wonwoo beams and nods. 

“I’ll even let you pick it out. Thank you, Gyu.” Wonwoo says, and immediately realizes the nickname. “I- oh, shit- sorry!” Wonwoo backpedals hard and fast away from that. But instead of getting mad, or scolding him, Mingyu  _ smiles _ at him. 

He smiles that stupid, sunshine, warm-and-happy, toothy smile of his. “It’s alright,” he says, “I like it. Most of my friends call me Gyu anyways.”

Wonwoo looks at him in shock. “Okay. Gyu it is.” Wonwoo laughs, and the two of them head for the wines. 

They arrive at Mingyu’s place, so Mingyu can drop all his groceries off. Wonwoo offers for them to cook here, at his place, but Mingyu adamantly demands that they do it at Wonwoo’s place, since his is a mess, which, it isn’t. It’s immaculate as ever. But Wonwoo just agrees and after he gathers the ingredients for dinner, the two of them drive to Wonwoo’s and Mingyu jumps right into cooking. Wonwoo helps as best as he can, but Mingyu leaves him to cutting up the vegetables for their stir fry, and pointing out where the cooking ware and utensils are. Wonwoo gets out his wine glasses and pours them one each, sipping his between the carrots and the broccoli florets and the peppers and scallions. Wonwoo is slow to cutting up the vegetables, slightly afraid of cutting off his own fingers, and the strange shapes of the vegetables making it difficult to get a small, exact cut.

“Wonu, you’re really not done with those yet?” Mingyu chuckles, the pans all ready to go, and the meat stripped and ready to get cooked. Wonwoo’s cheeks heat up in embarrassment and he just nods, and Mingyu grins and comes over, standing behind him, and taking his hands in his. “Here, hold the knife like this, and then just do little short movements with the back end of it, like this. See?” Mingyu guides his hands as he does it, his back pressed against Wonwoo’s and his head right next to his. He’s so warm, and Wonwoo can feel his breath tickling his neck, and his voice vibrating in his chest. The low rumble of it resonates in his ears, and Wonwoo’s knees feel like butter. Shit, this man is hot. Wonwoo wants Mingyu to bend him over the counter  _ right fucking now. _

“Yeah, I see now, I think.” Wonwoo says softly, almost breathlessly.  _ Almost _ . Mingyu removes himself from Wonwoo’s side, all warmth leaving, and watches as Wonwoo works at the vegetables himself. 

“There you go. I’m gonna start on the meat, just put the vegetables into this pan when you’re done.” Mingyu sets it on the counter next to Wonwoo, and starts grilling little pieces of meat. Wonwoo finishes the rest of the vegetables efficiently, and swipes them all from the cutting board and into the pan, bringing it over to the stove. Mingyu instructs him next to set the spot that they’d be eating, and then asks to ‘maybe pour him a little more red wine.’ Wonwoo obliges, of course, and tops his own glass off while he’s at it. 

Wonwoo’s tasks take less time than the rest of the food cooking does, so Wonwoo opens the big blinds covering the windows near his dining table, the ones that look out over the street and have a beautiful view of the boardwalk in the distance. On the mornings, when Wonwoo can’t sleep, he sits and watches the sunrise with a good cup of coffee. Mingyu would probably appreciate that sunrise, Wonwoo thinks. He seems like the kind of person to enjoy that. Wonwoo sips from his wine and watches the city lights twinkle in the distance, and the bustling night life of the city. It’s almost nine, so most people are headed to the clubs on Friday. 

“Wonwoo, is the table ready?” Mingyu calls from over in the kitchen. Wonwoo grabs the two plates and hurries over, the aroma of chicken and rice and warm cooked vegetables grows stronger. His stomach rumbles loudly, and Mingyu smiles. “I hear you’re hungry. Good thing I made a lot.” Mingyu scoops two heaping helpings onto each plate, and sends Wonwoo on his way. He makes sure to shut the stove off, and cover the stir fry pan, but grabs the wine from the fridge as he goes. 

“There’s an ice bucket in one of my cupboards, Gyu. If you want to put it in that. And you can just get ice from the dispenser on my fridge.” Wonwoo says. Mingyu looks at him. 

“You own a fucking ice bucket?! Holy shit you’re fancy. You’re a whole bachelor.” Mingyu laughs. Wonwoo shakes his head sheepishly.

“The company gave it to me, when I was given my position. At some soiree. There was a whole gift basket with it, with fancy wines and champagnes. I have some on my rack over there, if you don’t want to drink this one anymore. And there were fancy chocolates and gift certificates to high end restaurants… It was swanky, but not particularly my style.” Wonwoo stands and searches through one of the cabinets above the counters, reaching up for the top shelf. Mingyu watches him stretch up for a moment, and comes up behind him again, holding onto his waist and then leaning past him, grabbing the ice bucket safely off the shelf. Wonwoo’s whole body goes all warm and liquid again, his skin breaking out in goosebumps at his touch, despite the warmth. Wonwoo catches just a whiff of Mingyu’s cologne, and somehow it smells sexy. It smells like rich man, though Mingyu most certainly isn’t that. It smells expensive, and slightly woodsy, with a touch of flowery undertones. God, Mingyu is radiating sex today.

“It’s nice.” Mingyu nods and sets it on the counter, shutting the cupboard after he’s done. Wonwoo looks at Mingyu and is so  _ so  _ tempted to chase his lips in a kiss, but Mingyu is already moving away, to fill the ice bucket from the fridge dispenser. Wonwoo pauses for a second. 

“Were you going to want one of the other wines?” Wonwoo asks. Mingyu shakes his head as the ice clatters down into the metal bucket. 

“No, we’ll save it for another time.” Mingyu gives him something halfway between a soft smile and a crooked smirk, and Wonwoo wants to jump his bones, right then and there. Holy shit, Wonwoo had no fucking clue why he felt this horny, but it’s driving him nuts. Mingyu nestles the wine bottle into the ice bucket and brings it over to the table. “This is a beautiful view for the fourth floor.” Mingyu chuckles lightly, and his laugh is slightly gruff, but it drips through Wonwoo’s brain like something smooth and sweet, all warm and golden like honey. Wonwoo nods. 

“Sometimes I watch the sunrise, when I can’t sleep. But usually I keep it closed at night or when I’m not home. Too much of the sunlight coming in tends to give me headaches, especially after work. Stress and light don’t mix well,” Wonwoo laughs a little. It sounds breathless and wispy, and Wonwoo winces. He makes his way over to the glass and wooden table and sits across from Mingyu, before digging in. Mingyu makes more small talk as they sit and chat, asking him questions about Japan, and his job, and Wonwoo tells him he doesn’t usually explore much, he just checks out the restaurants. 

Wonwoo asks Mingyu about his jobs, too. Mingyu said they finally hired another busboy, so he’s getting trained in being a prep cook, not that he really needs it. He did go to culinary school after all. Wonwoo listens intently to every word, hanging on to his laughter and the warmth of his deep, gentle voice. His words swim around in Wonwoo’s head, and he tucks them neatly away in a little box labeled ‘Mingyu,’ so he can recall it all later, in other conversations, and when Mingyu isn’t around. 

Wonwoo asks him about his family. Mingyu’s parents are divorced, and he has a younger sister, who’s just finishing up college, and she’s going for veterinary science. Wonwoo smiles. “That’s lovely. My brother’s wife is a vet tech back home.”

“You have a brother?” Mingyu asks. 

“Yep. He a pain in the ass. He’s a dentist, like my dad was.” Wonwoo laughs. 

“That’s nice, family business?” Mingyu raises an eyebrow and Wonwoo nods. “That must be why your smile is so pretty.”

Wonwoo feels his cheeks heating up. Fuck, where did that even  _ come from? _ Wonwoo’s sure he’s pink all the way to the tips of his ears. “I uh- I mean, they really stressed dental hygiene in my house, I suppose. I had braces when I was younger.” Wonwoo shovels another mouthful in, hoping to avoid sounding even dumber. 

“You want more? I’m gonna have a second helping.” Mingyu grins. Wonwoo nods and shoves the last small mouthfuls into his mouth. Wonwoo can’t remember when the last time he had a home cooked meal was. When he went home for his birthday? Maybe. Wonwoo makes a mental note to check in with his mom more often than on the holidays. Wonwoo lets Mingyu take his plate as he stands, and watches as he strides to the kitchen. 

Wonwoo polishes off his glass of wine and glances across the table at Mingyu’s almost empty glass. “You want another glass, Gyu? I’ll pour it.” He grabs the bottle and uncorks it again, and pours a helping in his glass.

“Yes, please.” Mingyu says, walking back to the table. Wonwoo pours another serving into Mingyu’s glass as well. 

“I also ended up getting those slices of chocolate cake from the bakery too. We can have that later. Maybe we can watch a movie or something when we’re done?” Wonwoo offers. Mingyu smiles. 

“That sounds nice.”

Wonwoo isn’t sure when or how he ended up in Mingyu’s lap, hands sliding though his hair, and Mingyu’s tongue running across his teeth, but it happened somehow, and at some point. He’s just glad to know that he wasn’t the only one feeling the sexual tension earlier. They’d cleaned up the dinner supplies, and Wonwoo made sure to pack some away for Mingyu to take home with him, though Mingyu had insisted that he kept the majority of it. 

They had loaded the dishes into the dishwasher, and they had started watching the latest comedy release, made it probably halfway through, before Mingyu had suggested they get dessert out. Wonwoo had happily obliged, and was just polishing off the last bite when Mingyu slid over to him on the couch and slung an arm around his shoulders. Wonwoo set the plate on the coffee table, and leaned back into Mingyu’s touch, going warm all over. 

But in all honesty, he has no idea what started this feverish makeout, because one moment he was nestled into Mingyu’s side and the next he was pouncing, straddling Mingyu’s hips and grabbing his shirt collar to tug him in for a kiss. Mingyu’s tongue pushes against his own, hot and wet, and Wonwoo sighs blissfully. Shit, this is hot. This is hotter than Mingyu showing him the proper way to cut up vegetables. This is quite possibly hotter than the sun itself. Wonwoo hums when Mingyu’s hands grip his ass hard, squeezing for a moment before his fingertips pressed along it. His hands move up, sliding up the back of Wonwoo’s shirt and then slipping forward to press along his sides and then his stomach. 

Wonwoo pulls away, kissing along Mingyu’s jaw and then down his neck, nipping at a few spots as he goes. Mingyu hums, and his hands roam to Wonwoo’s stomach, and make their way up to his chest, making Wonwoo’s shirt stretch awkwardly over his frame. Every spot that Mingyu’s hands touch feels like it’s on fire, burning hot and bright. Mingyu’s fingertips ghost over Wonwoo’s nipples, making him inhale sharply. Mingyu’s lip curls into a smirk, and he runs his hands back down Wonwoo’s torso again, teasing him. Wonwoo whines a little and bites down a little harder on the skin of Mingyu’s neck in retaliation. He hisses softly, so Wonwoo sucks on the spot, licking and soothing it, but making sure to leave a small, pretty, purple mark behind. 

Mingyu moans as he does so, breathy and low, almost inaudible, and his hands are on Wonwoo’s hips, gripping them tightly. Wonwoo’s hands travel along Mingyu’s body, before they tug at his shirt, desperately wanting it off. Mingyu shifts so that he can pull it up over his head and toss it aside somewhere. Wonwoo’s eyes travel down the vast expanse of golden skin, and the light outline of abs, and the few freckles peppering Mingyu’s skin (I really don’t know if he even has freckles but he seems like the kinda guy that would have a couple lil ones here and there, its Kim fucking Mingyu for fucks sake) Mingyu is absolutely fucking gorgeous. Wonwoo is fucked. Where would he ever, in any lifetime, have a man like Mingyu before him, half hard, beautiful, and an absolute god. 

Wonwoo has no fucking idea what he did to deserve someone like Mingyu. He worked hard, he cooked, he liked things clean, he’s gorgeous, he’s funny, he’s fucking fantastic in bed, and Wonwoo was nothing. Like  _ dust _ compared to Mingyu. Shit, maybe Wonwoo  _ doesn’t _ deserve Mingyu, but he sure as hell  _ wants _ him. He’s pulled out of his thoughts when Mingyu palms him through his pants, making Wonwoo gasp in surprise. Mingyu is smirking at him, and leaning forward, chasing after Wonwoo’s lips, before finally capturing him in another kiss, one that’s hungry and desperate, yet slow, and burning hot. Something like passion. 

Mingyu’s hand is still working at Wonwoo’s dick through his pants, almost as if he’s trying to get a rise out of Wonwoo. Wonwoo’s hands travel up Mingyu’s torso, and he rubs his thumbs over Mingyu’s nipple. This gets Mingyu this time, making him groan loudly and pull away. Wonwoo smirks and kisses his way down Mingyu’s neck and collarbone before reaching his nipple and licking it.

“Shit,  _ fuck,  _ Wonwoo,” Mingyu’s voice is gruff, and airy, and Wonwoo knows he’s unwinding. He starts fiddling with Mingyu’s pants while he sucks on his nipple lightly, before it turns into something more desperate and he’s tugging at Mingyu’s pants now, the sounds he’s making driving Wonwoo insane. Wonwoo pulls away to work at getting Mingyu’s pants off more efficiently, and Mingyu, panting, sets hands on Wonwoo’s shoulders, effectively stopping him. 

“What?” Wonwoo looks at him, concerned there’s something wrong. 

“Slow down, Wonu. There’s no rush, we’ve got all night.” Mingyu says, taking his face and kissing him, slow and sensual. A wave of heat shoots through Wonwoo at that, at the way that Mingyu is kissing him so slow now, all gentle and passionate. Wonwoo follows the pace, but starts a slow grind on Mingyu’s lap, hips rolling slowly, his ass pressing into Mingyu’s crotch. Mingyu moans lightly into Wonwoo’s mouth. Wonwoo’s hands run down along Mingyu’s chest slowly, fingertips just brushing his skin, his tongue tangled with Mingyu’s. Mingyu’s tugging at Wonwoo’s shirt now, and Wonwoo pauses in his movements and pulls away from Mingyu’s lips, letting him pull the shirt over Wonwoo’s head and toss it to the side. 

Mingyu’s eyes drink him in, and Wonwoo squirms a little uneasily. “Is this where you make another comment about how skinny I am?” Wonwoo recalls the first time they had sex, and voice is quieter than he means it to be, almost sounding unsure. 

“No. I don’t care how skinny you are, you’re gorgeous,” Mingyu says, looking up into Wonwoo’s eyes. His cheeks go pink, he knows they do, and Mingyu’s own cheeks are flushed pink, but whether it’s embarrassment over the cheesy comment or the red wine, Wonwoo isn’t sure. 

“Oh…” Wonwoo’s voice is barely above a whisper, and it’s breathless. Mingyu leans in and begins pressing kisses along Wonwoo’s collarbone. Wonwoo’s hands are on Mingyu’s shoulders, holding him close. “We should- we should move off the couch, Gyu. It’s suede, and unless you want to try and clean it later…” 

“Shit, yeah. Bed is more comfy anyways.” Mingyu agrees, letting Wonwoo stand up and make his way to his room. Mingyu follows after him, his hand resting on the small of Wonwoo’s back. Wonwoo lays down, and Mingyu climbs onto the bed after him, leaning over Wonwoo and kissing him once again, a hand on Wonwoo’s hip, fingers hovering above the waistband of Wonwoo’s pants. Wonwoo pulls away and pouts up at Mingyu.

“Get me out of these damn pants, would you? I appreciate the ‘taking it slow,’ ‘love making’ vibes, but these fucking pants are gonna end me.” Wonwoo grumbles, and Mingyu laughs, loud and melodious and beautiful. 

“Alright, impatient.” Mingyu works the zipper and the clasp of his work pants, which proves to be a pain in the ass for Mingyu. “Why the hell do you have these stupid dress pants on, Wonwoo?” Mingyu is grumbling now, so Wonwoo swats his hands away and stands, undoing them and letting them fall to the ground. 

“Should I just take my underwear off too, while I’m up?” Wonwoo raises an eyebrow and Mingyu shrugs. 

“Might as well.” 

So, off come his underwear, and Mingyu starts fumbling with his own pants, tugging them off his body, and he turns to the bedside table and pulls out the lube and a condom.

“Hey, you should restock, this is the last one.” Mingyu says. 

“Shit, really? I was just at the store today.” Wonwoo whines, and sits back on the edge of the bed. Mingyu chuckles a little, and sets the little condom packet aside, and uncaps the lube. He sits beside Wonwoo and kisses him softly, hand pressed to the small of his back, and lays him down gently. He’s not quite sure why he’s so accepting of this gentle, love making vibe, perhaps it’s the wine talking again, but it’s almost… nice. Wonwoo hasn’t had more than a frantic hookup in a long time, and this is so different, somehow so much more  _ sexy _ than a quickie in the backseat of a car, or a blowjob in a bar bathroom. It feels less dirty, and more romantic. He doesn’t feel so much like an asshole for having one night stands, or wanting to get his dick sucked by a random stranger to let off steam. He feels like he actually gives a shit. 

Wonwoo’s somewhere between lost in thought and lost in the kiss when he feels Mingyu’s slicked up finger pressing at his ass, making him gasp, and break the kiss, as well as his train of thought. 

“You’re thinking. About what?” Mingyu asks, his lips still brushing against Wonwoo’s.

“How… fuck this is going to sound stupid,” Wonwoo mumbles. 

“You can say it. I won’t laugh.” 

“I was thinking about how nice this is… not a rush, not a need to get off kind of feeling. How… soft? This is? That’s not the right word.”

A tiny puff of a laugh leaves Mingyu’s mouth. “I know what you’re saying, don’t worry. It’s been a long time since I’ve been so… tender. It’s a lovely change of pace.” 

Wonwoo can only hum in response because Mingyu’s kissing him again, his finger no longer massaging Wonwoo’s entrance, but slipping inside of him, pumping in and out at a decent pace. It’s slow, but not slow enough to make him whine for more, it’s a steady, gentle movement, one that leaves his body aching for more, but not desperate. Wonwoo’s hands tangle in Mingyu’s hair, tugging a little on the strands, making Mingyu hum this time. His tongue presses gently into Wonwoo’s mouth, and his free hand roams along Wonwoo’s body. He works one finger inside of Wonwoo for a short bit, before Wonwoo is pulling away, a bit impatient.

“Okay, okay. More.” Wonwoo says, and Mingyu carefully adds a second finger, making Wonwoo moan. “Fuck, that’s good.” 

“Feel nice, Wonu?” Mingyu says breathlessly, watching the way that Wonwoo’s expression changes, as he begins scissoring him open. Wonwoo whines softly at the feeling, his breath coming in short puffs. 

“Ah, yes…” Wonwoo manages.

“You look so good like this,” Mingyu smirks slightly at him.

Wonwoo’s cheeks heat up. “Stop, don’t say things like that.”

“But it’s true. You’re fucking beautiful. Your sex faces are hot.”

“Ew, shut up!” Wonwoo laughs a little, and Mingyu laughs too. “Stop being so freaking cheesy or I’m kicking you out.”

“You mean you don’t want to get fucked?” Mingyu raises an eyebrow, and continues pumping his fingers in and out of Wonwoo. 

“Mmm, never mind. You’re right. I want this too badly.”

“That’s what I thought. You ready for another?”

Wonwoo nods. Mingyu’s rhythm stops as he starts adding a third. This stings a bit. It’s been a while since Wonwoo got fucked. Actually, he hasn’t been fucked since the last time he was with Mingyu. But it feels good, if he’s being honest. Mingyu’s fingers work inside of him, as Mingyu picks up another rhythm. Shit, it feels fucking amazing. Wonwoo doesn’t realize himself moving down on Mingyu’s fingers, wanting more, wanting a faster pace, wanting him to hit that spot, and-

“Oh  _ fuck!” _ Wonwoo all but shouts, and Mingyu blinks in shock. 

“You good?”

“Fuck, right  _ there _ , Gyu! More,” Wonwoo groans, his hips shoving down on Mingyu’s fingers, ensuring they hit the spot again. 

“Alright, alright. Calm down,” Mingyu chuckles and curls his fingers against the spot again, making Wonwoo moan, pleasure shooting through his body. Wonwoo’s gripping the sheets now, as Mingyu fucks him with his fingers, still acting slow and sensual, rather than frantic and fast. Shit, this is  _ the _ hottest thing  _ ever _ . This is probably better than anything he ever had with Minghao- though this isn’t the time to be bringing this up, he thinks. 

And suddenly Mingyu’s fingers are gone from him, Wonwoo whining as that awful emptiness fills him instead, and his grip on the sheets loosens. He didn’t realize his eyes were closed until they open at the sound of the condom packet tearing open and the click of the lube cap. He watches Mingyu roll the condom on, drinks in the way Mingyu’s dick looks. Mingyu seems to notice him watching, because he leans down and kisses him sweetly. 

“You ready?” Mingyu says quietly. Wonwoo nods.

“Yes.” Wonwoo replies. Mingyu shifts, lining himself up, hands on Wonwoo’s hips, and then he pushes in slowly, making Wonwoo gasp. Wonwoo grips the sheets tightly, swearing because this feels amazing. Mingyu waits a few moments, before opening his mouth. “Move.” Wonwoo says before he can even get the question out.

And move Mingyu does. He rolls his hips slow up into Wonwoo, his grip firm, but caring on Wonwoo’s body. He kisses along Wonwoo’s neck while he moves, and Wonwoo’s breathless in a way he shouldn’t be, but is and lets himself feel that way anyways. Wonwoo’s heart is racing and Mingyu fits with him like a damn puzzle piece, and it’s strange, but wonderful and-

“Shit, Gyu, faster,” Wonwoo breathes, sick of this slow pace, craving more. Mingyu chuckles a breathless laugh and picks the pace up a bit, but the weird tenderness of it all remains, Mingyu admiring every inch of Wonwoo with his hands, and his lips going everywhere, and Wonwoo’s dick is painfully hard and feeling neglected. “Touch me, please, Gyu,” Wonwoo whines, his body feeling like it’s on fire. 

Mingyu bends to his will, his hand starting a matching pace with his hips, and Wonwoo throws is head back against the pillows, moaning loudly. 

“Vocal tonight, huh?”

“Shut up, it’s the red wine,” Wonwoo pants, and then Mingyu hits that fucking  _ spot _ and Wonwoo practically yells out, babbling Mingyu’s name and Mingyu snaps his hips again, hitting it deep and hard and holy shit Wonwoo thinks he’s seeing stars. Wonwoo honestly doesn’t know if he’s speaking coherent words, all he knows is that there’s sound coming out of his mouth, words flowing from him against his will. 

And there’s that red hot feeling deep down inside, building up quickly to a high, and Wonwoo’s clawing at Mingyu’s shoulders while Mingyu presses hot, wet, open mouthed kisses along Wonwoo’s chest and shoulders. Wonwoo thinks he manages the word ‘close’ somewhere in his loud moans and Mingyu nods, and a few tugs more and Wonwoo is gone, riding out his high while Mingyu thrusts into him a few more times. Mingyu comes with a moan, and rolls his hips jerkily a few more times into Wonwoo before collapsing beside him. 

They lay there for a few moments before Mingyu starts getting up. Wonwoo raises an eyebrow. “I hope you’re not going home. Not after the two of us polished off half a bottle of red wine.”

“No, I’m gonna get a washcloth. Where-”

“In my bathroom, in the little cupboard by the end of the sink.”

Mingyu nods and disappears through the door, and returns a minute later with a warm wet cloth and a dry towel and starts wiping Wonwoo down gently. 

“I could do that myself, you know…” Wonwoo tries feebly. 

“But did you want to?” Mingyu pauses.

“...No.” 

So Mingyu cleans him up and goes back to the bathroom to put the dirtied towels in the laundry hamper in the bathroom and then climbs into bed with Wonwoo, who has since put a pair of underwear on and snuggled under the covers. They lay apart for a few minutes, before Mingyu rolls over and drapes himself over Wonwoo.

“What’s with the soft attitude?” Wonwoo chuckles a little. 

“It must be the red wine.” Mingyu smiles. 

Wonwoo wakes the next morning wrapped in a strong pair of arms, and sighs contentedly. This is nice. This isn’t Wonwoo’s usual, but it’s nice. He’d almost think that he should let people stay over after hookups more often. But that’s messy, that’s always messy. 

Mingyu can stay, though. Whenever he wants. Wonwoo snuggles into the mess of blankets and long tan limbs belonging to Mingyu, when he hears Mingyu hum. “Oh, you’re awake?” Mingyu’s voice is raspy, and low, and  _ oh fuck _ , Wonwoo wants him again. 

“Yeah, I am. How long have you been up?”

“A few minutes. You want breakfast?”

“If breakfast is you.” Wonwoo rolls over to face Mingyu, a smirk on his lips. 

“Damn, lazy morning sex sounds heavenly,  _ but…”  _ Mingyu smirks. 

“But what?”

“A balanced breakfast is the healthiest meal of the day.”

“Oh, shut up!” Wonwoo giggles- since when the fuck did Wonwoo  _ giggle?- _ and grabs Mingyu’s face. “Breakfast later, I want sex.”

“Alright, alright, you animal.” Mingyu chuckles and kisses Wonwoo slowly, and lazily- though it’s not sloppy. Fuck, this is good. Life is good.

Wonwoo falls into a comfortable sort of routine with Mingyu over the next few months. Mingyu asks if he wants dinner, they get together at Wonwoo’s, Mingyu teaches Wonwoo how to cook. Sometimes they watch movies, a few times, Mingyu has showed up with a little bag of board games, and other times they play overly-competitive games of Mario Kart. Mingyu, Wonwoo realizes, is a wonder to be around. He just brings peace and happiness wherever he goes. And he’s funny, and yeah, sometimes they have sex. 

Wonwoo wonders if perhaps the worst part of it all is that they don’t always have sex. But when they do, Mingyu stays. And that’s comforting, and it makes Wonwoo happy to actually wake up in the mornings, and it’s a terrifying feeling. It’s like seeing some magnificent creature of the wild, like a wolf or a lion, real and in person- it’s grace and it’s beauty and it’s strength unmatched- until you realizes it could very well rip you to shreds. So Wonwoo dances around it all- his fears, his overthinking, his old memories, because he enjoys the company of Mingyu. 

He might even say they’re friends. 

Mingyu has invited him over a couple times for his ‘boys nights’ which are just overrated game nights where a couple of his coworkers-slash-friends hang out and they order pizza and eat artery-clogging dips on their chips and drink beer and play games. Wonwoo meets Vernon, Mingyu’s closest work friend, and Vernon brings his girlfriend to one, and she’s a delightful young woman, and she fits right in with the rest of the guys rather seamlessly. Wonwoo also meets Jackson, Mingyu’s best friend and college roommate. He also meets Mingyu’s friend Jooheon, who works at the bar with him as well, and is part of an indie band. He’s got wild bright blue hair, and a wife with matching hair and a nose ring. They’re a wonderfully strange couple, and hilarious. Mingyu, it turns out, is also friends with the rest of Jooheon’s band, Changkyun, Hyunwoo, and Yugyeom.

This routine is bliss. Wonwoo loves it, he gets laid regularly, and he’s not frequently stressed out, and he’s made new friends (who aren’t planning weddings, because now Seokmin and Chan are fully invested into Soonyoung and Jihoon’s wedding) and he gets regular meals. Wonwoo thinks he might actually be happy, that is until he sits down at dinner with his two couple friends, and notices Jihoon giggling with Chan. Wonwoo slides into the booth beside Seokmin, greeting his friends. 

“Uh, hey. What are you guys so giggly about?” Wonwoo raises an eyebrow. 

“What a wonderful greeting, it’s nice to see you too, Wonu.” Soonyoung rolls his eyes. 

Chan practically squeals. “We’re  _ engaged _ , Won!” Chan holds his hand up, and there it is, a delicate silver band around Chan’s ring finger. Wonwoo feels his heart soar for a moment, genuine happiness for his friends filling his chest, before it drops to the very pits of his stomach. 

“That’s wonderful, guys! Congratulations.” Wonwoo smiles, but that word reverberates in Wonwoo’s brain like a death sentence. Engaged. 

“Thanks man. You’ve been looking a little glowy yourself lately. How’s Mingyu?” Seokmin asks, brow raised. 

“Mingyu’s fine, thank you very much. But we’re not talking about my sex life right now. This is more planning for those two idiots’ wedding. Your wedding will have to wait.” Wonwoo states matter-of-factly. 

Jihoon rolls his eyes now. “Don’t act like looking at a thousand color swatches a day and Saturday morning cake tasting isn’t a joy in life.”

“Okay, cake maybe. Cake is fucking good.” Wonwoo laughs, pushing that clouding feeling in his chest down. He listens to them begin to babble about the best cake shop so far, and stares out the window instead, gazing upon the first few snowflakes of the winter to fall. He’s brought out of his gazing at the little snowflakes drifting down from the sky when he hears his name, snapping him to attention to the people around the table. 

“So, Wonwoo… It’s been like four months since we got engaged, and we’ve still got like six months away from the bachelor parting and the wedding and what not, but… We wanted you to have this.” Jihoon says, setting a little box with an envelope and a bow on the table before him. Wonwoo raises an eyebrow.

“What?” Wonwoo gently takes it and pulls the card out from under the bow and slips open the envelope to see it’s their wedding invitation. 

“It’s the thank you, sort of,” Soonyoung says, watching as Wonwoo opens the lid of the box. Inside is a watch, beautifully made, with his initials on the back. 

“This is really fucking nice, guys…” Wonwoo says, looking at the watch and holding it delicately. “Thank you…”

“Did you read your invitation? We gave you the very first one.” Jihoon says. Wonwoo picks it back up. 

+1.

“What?” Wonwoo asks again, looking up at them. 

“We’re giving you a plus one, Wonwoo.”

“Why?” Wonwoo laughs, but it’s breathy and not at all right. 

“So you can bring a guest, idiot. Anyone come to mind?” Soonyoung raises an eyebrow and smirks. 

“I’m not bringing Mingyu. No, no, no. No way.” Wonwoo shakes his head, setting the watch down. 

“Oh come  _ on,  _ Wonu. You like him, why not bring him to their wedding? He’d have a good time, and he gets along with Soonyoung and Jihoon,” Seokmin chimes in. Wonwoo shakes his head. 

“No, guys. I’m not inviting Mingyu and that’s final.”

“Why not?” Chan asks. Wonwoo huffs

“Because that’s not what this is, Chan. That’s not what I have with Mingyu, we just sleep together, okay? I don’t- inviting him to a wedding is too much, it implies too much. Besides, there’s six months between now and then, shit could go wrong, I could move on, he could move on- that’s commitment.” Wonwoo states. 

“Which you’re afraid of.” Soonyoung states, rather curtly. 

Wonwoo looks at him incredulously. “Yeah, I fucking am, Soonyoung. This isn’t a surprise.”

“Well you need to fucking get over it, Wonwoo. This is ridiculous. Minghao broke your heart and crushed your soul, we get it. That doesn’t mean you need to live your life afraid all the time.”

“Fuck off, okay? I don’t expect you to understand, you and fucking Jihoon are two peas in a pod, happy as can be. Neither of you have been hurt like I got hurt, you fucking asses.” Wonwoo’s blood is boiling and he’s got an icy cold chain around his heart, squeezing it, tears threatening to start forming. 

“Calm down, Woo, he doesn’t mean it like that-” Jihoon tries.

“Then what the fuck  _ did  _ he mean, Jihoon?! You think I  _ want _ to be alone? You think I  _ want _ to sit and watch while the rest of my friends get engaged and married?! Cause it makes me  _ fucking miserable _ , dammit!” Wonwoo exclaims. “To know once I fucking had this and he left me there alone, looking like a goddamn fool, without a word of warning! And then I get a letter in the mail six months later, and it’s a goddamn photo of him and some guy, and an apology, and something about him getting married to  _ someone else!”  _

Wonwoo really doesn’t mean to shout, but he does, emotion pouring out of him. 

His four friends at the table stare at him in shock. 

“They just thought, Wonwoo, that maybe you’d give Mingyu a chance. He’s the first guy you’ve- you’ve done more that just a one night stand in-” Chan begins after a few moments of silence. 

“No, I won’t be giving Mingyu a chance any fucking time soon. Fuck, I- I’ll end things with him, if it will get you assholes to shut up about him, and this stupid fucking plus one. I’m not bringing him to your wedding. I don’t want anything more to do with him.” Wonwoo’s voice is cold, and he knows with every fiber of his body that this is not what he wants. He doesn’t want to fight with his four best friends. He doesn’t want to look like a raging asshole. He doesn’t want to be alone anymore. And he certainly doesn’t want to let go of Mingyu. 

The thought of that alone twists around in his gut, ugly and angry, and it hurts, somewhere in the recesses of his chest, the thought of never seeing Mingyu again, of never looking at that goofy smile of his, of never listening to him talk about his sister again, of never feeling the way his lips press soft against his again. It hurts, more than it should if Mingyu were just a hook up. 

But hook up can’t fit them anymore, not with the way things have been. Wonwoo supposes that maybe they’re friends. Friends somewhere beneath the sex and the dinner dates and the gentle touches. Benefits, they certainly have- regular sex with a hot man, it just  _ works _ . But Wonwoo doesn’t know if he can handle anything more than friends with benefits. That involves feelings, more than platonic ones, more than desire. Something Wonwoo isn’t ready to give in to, ones Wonwoo isn’t anywhere near being ready to commit to. Wonwoo snaps. 

“I need to leave.”

Three weeks, Wonwoo ignores Mingyu’s texts. Three weeks, Wonwoo denies getting together with his ridiculous engaged friends. Three weeks, Wonwoo eats instant ramen and drinks shitty soju from the convenience store. Three weeks, Wonwoo goes to the gym every night and runs for an hour, running from his panic, from the way his body yearns for Mingyu’s touch, the way his mind craves to hear Mingyu’s voice. 

And then he’s off to Japan again for a week. 

**A week away, a week to himself, a week to stop fucking thinking.**

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on twitter @vernonsbuffalo for stupid kpop content


End file.
